In between the spaces
by ZanNaz
Summary: Dan/Blair. What happens when two old enemies run into each other, maybe Yale really is the place for new beginnings.
1. Fractured bones

DISCLAIMER: I'm only going to do this mumbojumbo once so ... I do not own Gossip Girl or it's characters which belong to respective authors and what-not. I simply own the world I choose to bring said characters into.

A/N: I really shouldn't be starting a new story right now but I can't help it! This idea has been swirling around in my head for a little while. So, I am completely switching gears for now and writing some Dan/Blair. Anyway, if you like it -- drop me a review -- as per usual they are always loved and appreciated :) Oh. PS -- title of the story comes from a line in a lady gaga song. ENJOY!

**re-upload.

**CHAPTER ONE:**

**Tom**: What happened? Why - why didn't they work out?  
**Summer**: What always happens. Life.

Blair glared at the grey clouds overhead as she hurried across campus, narrowly avoiding a frozen puddle with the heel of her shoe. The frigid air pushed warmth into the pit of her stomach, stirring goose bumps on her flesh as she pulled the collar of her jacket closer to her frame and frowned. Vapor rolled off the curve of her glossed lips, freezing mid-air.

In New York, snow was simply endured, pushed into corners black with dirt and gravel as it melted into nearby storm drains. It was always a lustful idea to fall asleep to, the wish a toddler asked for every morning of December. Here, snow was celebrated for everything that it was ... which was next to nothing ... compressed frozen water in all it's listless glory.

Blair bowed her head, passing by a group of guys who were scrambling about the courtyard hurling snowballs at each other. She checked her watch, cursed and quickened her pace. She wasn't even part way to her next lecture and surely now she would be late. Professor Halforth would lock her out and refuse to comment on her essays for the next three days. She had seen it done to other students, the stragglers, the ones who hardly showed up. She felt sick thinking of it, working herself into a frenzy as she cut across the last stretch of pavement before the street.

Then, something solid and hard hit her calf, streaming water down her new stockings. Blair turned, mouth poised to utter a quick caution when her foot caught on something and slowly, as it rather seemed to her, she fell to the ground in a heap of scarf, brunette curls and pain, _very much pain._

For a few seconds nothing happened. Blair made no move to sit up, lying on her back in the middle of the disgustingly damp, cold snow. She wanted to scream but all she could focus on was the throbbing heat that drew her thoughts towards her ankle.

She winced as a man kneeled over her, his hand pressed to the ache. The outline of his jaw seemed vaguely familiar, the cowlick of curly black hair ...

"Blair?" The stranger leaned closer, the murky mid-afternoon sun casting clear strands of light across his face. She widened her eyes, lip curled in shock when she realized that the stranger, who was not more than a few centimeters away from her, was really no stranger at all.

Daniel Humphrey - Serena's ex-flame of past years. The tortured soul, the poet, the chain smoking espresso addict whose hand was cradling her ankle, burning pain or not she cringed at his touch, eagerly pushing his hand away.

"I'm fine," She grumbled, sitting up. The courtyard had cleared more or less, leaving the two of them alone. She was definitely _not _getting into her lecture now.

Dan stood up, brushing the snow off of his jeans. She didn't look up at him, her head was swimming and her legs felt like jelly. The last person in the entire world she wanted to come face to face with and of course, she was currently in his presence.

He offered his hand and begrudgingly she took it. Although her ego was bruised she wasn't stupid enough to reject the assistance as he helped her onto her feet ... or her foot.

"Ow, ow," She whined, "it hurts."

"Well hi there - nice to see you too," Dan chided. She glanced up, her cheeks flush as she tested the heel of her foot on the ground. A shock of pain zipped up her muscles. She didn't appreciate his sarcasm.

"Where you the one who hit me?" She scowled. "I bet that's why you're looking all, all --"

"What?" Dan prompted, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Smug!" She huffed.

She could tell he was trying to stifle a laugh, his ribcage shaking beneath his vest. She shook her head. Or maybe it was because she looked like an idiot standing there, on one foot no less, clutching her ankle and leaning against a tree trunk. In any case she was in no situation to accuse but why else would he be there?

Serena had told her once that Dan had been accepted into Yale too, a few weeks before she was due to leave. Obviously, whenever Serena had gone on about people she didn't really care about, Blair had blocked it out.

Besides, in the year and a half she'd been attending Yale she hadn't even glimpsed the outline of his familiar face once. Thus, the information had never resurfaced - until now.

"Obviously I always appear smug as the nice guy that I am, you know." He replied, his tone was light - clearly he found her accusation ridiculous. Culprit or not she would need him to help her get to the nurse. She rolled her eyes. Why couldn't she just be in second year poly-sci right now listening to another drifting lecture in monotone?

Everything was going wrong.

"Yeah right, obviously -" She mumbled."Look -- I'm just as thrilled about this as you are" Blair began, "But I think I twisted my ankle and I need to get to the nurse. And, seeing as your the only self proclaimed "nice guy" within earshot, would you ..." She trailed off. There was no way she was going to right out ask Humphrey for his help.

Not now, not ever.

Dan was surprisingly quiet as he hooked her arm around his shoulder. She grabbed his waist, trying not to think of whose body she was touching and carefully the two of them made their way towards the student center. A Waldorf clinging to Cabbage Patch like a fresh faced Serena once had - this was definatley new. It's not like she really had a choice after all.

**XOXO**

Sometimes Dan began to think that he was too nice for his own good. Like maybe a combination of Grammy Humphrey and Rufus had left him too much the gentlemen. Never one to start fights, utter mean words and always the boy to help a damsel in distress. Even if that damsel happened to be a certain brunette from the land of overtly bitch. No, he shook his head.

It had been almost two years since graduation and he was sitting there, in the tiny waiting quarters for the on-staff nurse, passing judgment on a girl he couldn't possibly know anymore. Granted she seemed sort of the same, but you couldn't always judge a book by it's cover could you?

Plus, he did feel slightly responsible. After all, Sam had been trying to nail him with the snowball when it accidentally pulverized on Blair's leg. And the way that she'd fallen, so sad and angry, he couldn't help but stay behind, even if it meant the first ever missed class of his post-secondary career.

There was one other person in the melon colored waiting room, a freshman who he'd seen around campus a couple of times. She looked nervously at him over her magazine and he wondered why she appeared so edgy. Just as he felt the appropriate amount of awkward silence had passed he opened his mouth to say hi.

"Humphrey," Blair called. He looked up, She was standing next to the receptionist, a bulky plaster cast sealed over her right ankle. She looked irritated and tired, the same facial expression he'd seen on her practically every day of senior year. Well, since he had waited this long he might as well make sure she got back to her dorm safely.

"Yeah?" She looked surprised that he was still there. No less in shock than he was.

She made her way over to where he was sitting, collapsing into the chair with a clunk. "Thanks," She said, turning to him, "for your help and whatever."

Maybe Blair Waldorf was human after all. He smiled, choosing to ignore the edge in her words,"No problem. What's the prognosis?"

"Fractured. Three months in this horrid accessory." She rolled her eyes and glanced around the room.

"That sucks," He said. It's not like he couldn't sympathize. Once when he was seven, Jenny had accidentally pushed him down the slide too fast. He had fallen all wrong and broken his big toe. In the following months he had told anyone who would listen that Shaq had stepped on it in Greenwich Village. Of course Jenny had spread the real story faster than he could illustrate his and everyone soon found out that he'd been injured by his five year old sister and her freakish super strength.

Not a good year.

"Do you still drink coffee?" Blair asked.

Dan couldn't gauge her angle so he went assumed she was being genuine. "Hopelessly addicted," he admitted.

"Fancy a cup?" He looked around. There wasn't a keoisk in sight, nor a cheap vending machine of black goop for the drinking. "What I mean is," She continued, "Would you like to get some ... with me ... now ... as a sort of thanks?"

He mulled this over for a second. "I guess, sure, why not." Dan stood up, turning towards her.

Blair smiled, "Good. But uh, could you help me up?" Quickly he scooped her onto her feet, smiling sweetly at the girl who sat watching them as they exited the building. He would have to call Autumn later and explain all of this.

At least damsels sometimes, not often, paid their gratitude in cups of caffeine. There might be no such thing as being too helpful.

**XOXO**

The cast made Blair feel ridiculously fat and slow, like a turtle scrambling to beat the hare and then not actually winning the race. She couldn't believe it was broken, minorly, but even still. Three months in this itchy thing without her high-heels and she wouldn't know what to do with herself. She didn't even want to know how showering was going to happen with this appendage attatched to her leg.

It took twice as long to get to the coffee shop as she thought it would and by the time she sat down, her hair was frizzy and she was hungry. Thank god she was just with Humphrey. Although, he had let her lean on him the entire way, kind of a sweet gesture but anyway.

While he hunted down a waiter she peeked at her reflection in the compact mirror kept religiously in her purse. Her heart beat wildly against her chest at the state of her make-up. The gloss had rubbed off and her cheeks were so red that her blush had disappeared in all the colour. Not to mention that her eyeliner had partially rubbed away. Damn it! Dan showed up, passing her a cup with a weak smile. Quickly she ducked the mirror under the table, dropping it into her pocket.

"So." He drawled, "How are you? Aside from the ankle thing anyway." He sipped at his coffee. It was black, no sugar or milk added, Blair figured as much.

"Busy," She lamented, "Mid-terms coming up and everything."

"Oh yeah," Dan leaned into the back of his chair, "Stress city."

"Basically," Her lips downcurved into an unfinished comma, "What's your major?"

"Me?" Dan clarified. Who else you idiot? She thought, nodding.

"Well actually, I'm a literature major minoring in history," He replied. Blair was interested. She thought he would still be barking up the creative writing tree.

"And you?"

"Law" Blair replied, shifting in her seat. Already she was growing itchy under the plaster cast.

"A lawyer, wow, impressive." He bit out.

"Yeah well, it's what my dad did, does still do - sometimes." The sentence fell from her lips in two pieces, broken. She took a sip of her coffee.

The silence was interrupted by the discordant rings of Dan's cell phone. He fished it from his pocket, blinking at the screen. "I've got to take this, I'll be back in a sec, okay?"

Blair smiled, flashing rows of pearly white teeth, "Sure." She watched as he ducked out of the cafe and onto the cold street, disappearing around the corner. She wondered who he was talking to, what they were saying. It's not like she had anything better to think about at the moment.

Minutes later he walked back into the building,"Sorry about that." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do you think you'll be okay to get back to your dorm by yourself?" He asked, his eyebrows raised as he stood there.

She didn't even know he was planning on walking her back to her dorm. "It's just, that was my girlfriend ... I kind of have to meet her somewhere and I'm already a little bit late."

Humphrey had a girlfriend ... was it Serena? No. He would tell her if he was sleeping with S. Given that they hadn't talked in a relatively long time. She questioned this momentarily before realizing that he was hanging on her response, waiting to be released from the impromptu catch-up with an apologetic look.

"No problem," She dismissed him with a wave, "Thanks again."

"Anytime," Dan laughed, "Wait uh, I don't mean - I meant .. don't go breaking any more ankles."

She was kind of glad that he was leaving, it was starting to get awkward. No matter how much of a snob she was Blair wasn't ungreatful enough to ignore those who helped her when she needed it. Thus, it was somewhat obligatory anyway, it's not like her and Dan were long lost BFFL's or anything.

It was then that she realized he was moving in for a hug, an actual Waldorf Humphrey union of hugging sorts with arms looped around necks and waists. She caught his neck in a half embrace and released a breath when it was over and his back was turned to her, moving towards the front of the cafe.

When he was out of sight Blair hobbled onto her feet. If she were lucky maybe she wouldn't run into Dan for the rest of her educational stay at Yale and this would be the only somewhat weird encounter she would have to field from Brooklynites of her past. Not that she knew more than one ... and a half if you counted little J.


	2. Yale you

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much to the five people that reviewed, you guys are awsome and wonderful ! If you have time, review review! I love feedback it helps to keep me inspired for this story and know that people are actually reading it. I hope you like the chapter (:

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**CHAPTER TWO:**

Food. The thought of it consumed Dan as he stumbled towards the cafeteria line-up, tray in hand, open arms. Lunch sat before him in large trays, spilling with grease and empty calories. His stomach grumbled, empty of everything but fact, the product of days spent huddled over textbooks and class vocabulary lists. He rubbed his eyes, partially blind from the constant squinting, and filled his plate with one of everything, making away with just enough to satisfy his hunger.

He surveyed the hall, wooden benches lining long tables, thousands of people still cramming for the last of their exams. He stalked over to a nearly empty table, having spotted no-one he knew, and started to dig into his square of coleslaw. It seemed all his taste-buds could recall were the shabby slices of pizza Brian had been bringing up to the dorm.

If he never saw a piece of pizza ever again it would be fine with him.

Two servings and a couple cups of soda later, Dan checked his watch. Autumn was late, he assumed, either that or he had managed to get the time wrong - again. They had only been dating for a month and while everything was going well, there hadn't been the 'sign.' They never co-ordinated in that magical cosmic way that all the great love stories had always depicted. What lies and bullshit. Of course a writer never explored the reality of romance, hushed words, cheating lovers, that whole spiel. He would have to begin the trend if he ever had the time. Transform the literary world with his ground-breaking exploration of relationships. He rolled his eyes, even his sarcastic monologues had lost their snap.

"Ugh!" A grunt reverberated through the hall, bouncing around the room. Dan turned, swallowing hard. There, on the other side of the cafeteria was Blair Waldorf, fumbling with her tray as she struggled to stand up-right. His eyes fell to the cast that protruded from her skirt, feeling guilt swell in his throat. He had assumed, after helping her to the nurse and walking her halfway across campus, that he wouldn't have to worry about her. But there he was, staring like an idiot, _thinking _about her.

She leaned against the wall, breathing raggedly, her face slightly red.

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep or the food that swirled around in his stomach, but suddenly he was walking towards her, abandoning the table he had been sitting at for the past two hours.

She was alone he noticed, surrounded only by those who were scrambling to get lunch before their next class. It was irony at it's best. All through high school legions of people had crowded around her, drawn into ... whatever it was that she supposedly possessed. But there she was, easy to talk to and he was heading straight for her. He supposed that he half-expected one of her friends to come along, drag her away, leave him walking towards an empty spot, but no such thing happened and he stopped in front of her.

"Hey," He awkwardly dropped the word from his lips, his mind racing. He hadn't thought any of this through.

Blair looked up, an expression of annoyance on her face, "Humphrey."

"So," He drawled, rocking back on the balls of his feet, "How are you?"

She shot him a glare and a familiar warmth sparked in his veins. That was the Blair he had gone to high school with.

"Just dandy," Her words edged. Clearly this wasn't going to be easy.

"Well you know," He prompted, unsure of his own direction, "if you want you can sit with me."

She sighed, long and ragged, avoiding his eyes. "I don't _want _to do anything;" She said finally, "right here is fine. _Thanks_."

He was screaming at himself to turn around and walk away, forget that he had seen her but instead he shrugged. "If you change your mind I'm just going to grab an extra plate of food and go sit over there." He pointed to his table, looking over his shoulder as he strolled towards the stack of trays.

"I got sick of standing there," She flipped her hair over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes at him quite seriously as she sat down. "I just can't move around well with this stupid thing on and you're the only person I know that's here right now."

He nodded, quirking his upper lip as he pushed the tray of food towards her.

There was silence, the kind that drifted but didn't linger. He was counting in his head, chewing on his fork, Blair suddenly looked up from her salad.

"You look like hell," Her words were blunt, probably close to honesty. After all, he hadn't seen his own reflection in two weeks much less shaved or really showered as often as he probably should have.

He stifled a laugh. "I don't doubt it," He swallowed, "I haven't had a life outside the dorms in weeks."

She cocked an eyebrow, biting into a piece of romaine lettuce. "A shower does wonders Humphrey, it's practically magical."

He took the fork out of his mouth. "Sh...oh...er?"

"Oh that's right, they don't teach you about proper hygiene in Brooklyn," She countered, a smile pulled across rows of pearly white teeth.

"I'll tell you what they do teach us," He leaned forward, his voice low, "The art of flinging forks at Waldorf women."

Blair glowered, "You. Wouldn't. Dare."

Dan pushed his plate away, matching her stare. "Wouldn't I? It's something us plaid-wearing-walking-tetanus-shots would do, right?"

There was a lightness to the conversation, she feigned surprise.

I'd say so," She turned her chin up at him and he smirked.

Before he knew it, a fork full of grilled chicken was poised to fly across the table and hit him smack in the face. He picked up a fry, dipping it in a gob of ketchup, ready for war.

"Move the carbohydrate anywhere near me," Blair edged, "And that greasy mop you call hair ... gets it."

Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. He had never seen this Blair, although she was technically injured (note bulky cast) she never looked less menacing and terrible. In fact, she was sort of beautiful, long ringlets of dark brown hair, bright eyes, red lips, a crème laugh. Enough to make any rich man swoon, good thing he didn't have two pennies to rub together, which sucked because he really needed to do laundry.

He glanced off-hand at the clock, eyes wide when his brain, finally not entirely consumed by the act of studying, registered the time. Shit. Had three hours really flown by so quickly? He stood up abruptly, dropping the fry onto his tray as he slipped on his jacket and picked up his backpack. He had to be somewhere.

"My last exam is in like, forty minutes," He explained. A wave of guilt hit him, the two times he had seen Blair he had abruptly left like some kind of asshole.

She dropped the fork and stood up, offering her hand. Dan looked awkwardly at her, "I'm a Humphrey," He drew her into a quick hug, "We actually do the human-to-human contact thing."

A giggle escaped her lips, "So over-rated," She chimed in his ear.

And as he left the cafeteria, he had a feeling like they were on the brink of some sort of friendship. He couldn't help but smile at the thought, if only because it was a confusing and illogical occurrence that probably would never have been permitted by either party if they still inhabited New York.


End file.
